Ohio Troy Betting – Trojans Air It Out En Route To Victory In New Orleans
Online betting players will see the bowl season kick off on Saturday, and the final of three bowl games comes from New Orleans, the site of the R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl. Ohio will face off with Troy in this contest, and we think the Trojans will pass their way to a victory in a familiar setting.
- What: NCAA betting
- When: Saturday, December 18th, 9:00 PM ET
- Where: The Superdome, New Orleans, LA
- Pick: Troy -2
What’s On The Line
The Bobcats (8-4) fell at Kent State in their regular-season finale, which kept them out of the MAC championship game, and they’ll be out for their first bowl win in their fifth attempt. The Trojans (7-5) came away with the Sun Belt title after edging out Middle Tennessee, and this will be their third trip to the New Orleans Bowl in five bowl games in their history. A win would be huge for either program.
Offensive Matchups: Ohio Troy Betting
Ohio is 94th in the country offensively, but during a seven-game winning streak, the Bobcats scored at least 30 points in every game. Ohio’s strength is their running game, which they spread around between running back Vince Davidson, and quarterbacks Phil Bates and Boo Jackson. That allows the Bobcats to come in 39th nationally in rushing, which is needed because they’re 105th through the air. The offensive line is solid, and they’ll have to be against a strong Troy pass rush.
The Trojans like to air it out, coming in 12th in passing, powered by the duo of Corey Robinson and Jerrel Jernigan. Robinson has a few other weapons, like Jason Bruce and Chip Reeves, and the rushing attack does enough to make the play-action game work, but Troy is all about the vertical game. Jernigan is also the return ace, and the Trojans are 21st in punt returns, which helps immensely in the field-position game. The offensive line can be breached, and they need to give Robinson some time.
Betting Edge: Troy
Defensive Matchups: Ohio Troy Betting
The Bobcats are solid enough on this side of the ball, coming in 28th in total defense, and they’re not that big, but they’re a fast group who can tackle very well. The secondary had 17 picks this season, but they also finished 61st in pass defense, and they’re going to have to be more conservative against a lethal Troy aerial attack. Safeties Donovan Fletcher and Steven Jackson may be the most important factors in Ohio’s NCAA football betting odds.
In Mario Addison and Jonathan Massaquoi, the Trojans have a pair of pass-rushers that could really crash the party. They combined for 20 sacks, and the Trojans are 11th nationally in sacks. That masks a unit that is 93rd in total defense, 92nd in scoring defense, and 101st against the pass. They’re also really bad against the run, which should have Ohio licking their chops. The Trojans also commit a lot of penalties, which allows the opposition to move the chains.
Betting Edge: Ohio
Notable Injuries: Ohio Troy Betting
Safety Gerald Moore (foot) has been out all season, but could be ready to return by Saturday. Defensive tackle Ernie Hodge (academics) may have to miss this game for the Bobcats.
The Trojans don’t have any major injuries heading into this game.
Betting Edge: Troy
Outlook and Pick: Ohio Troy Betting
The Trojans are a 2-point NCAA football betting favorite in this contest, and this is the first time these two have ever met. The Trojans have an edge as they’ve been in this bowl before and coming out of Alabama, they’ll likely have more fans in the Superdome than the Bobcats. Ohio needs to run the ball and keep the Troy offense off the field, but the Trojans’ defense is so bad that it could end up turning into a shootout, and that favors Troy. We’re taking the Trojans to keep Ohio winless in their bowl history because no matter how good the Ohio defense is, we don’t think they’ll be able to shut down Troy’s high-powered offense. Go with Troy in your sports betting book.
Blake’s Pick: Troy
